Descent
|Season = 5 |Antagonist = Dumuzi |Setting = Sumeria |In-Universe Date = Year 3 |Production # = V0704 |Filming Dates = 12 May to 21 May 1998 |Original Air-Date = |Written By = Lisa Klink |Story By = |Teleplay By = |Directed By = Richard Compton |Order in Series = 83 of 111 |Order in Season = 2 of 22 |Order in Franchise= 173 of 304 |Prev Episode in Series = "Faith" |Next Episode in Series = "Resurrection" |Prev Episode in Franchise = "Forgery" |Next Episode in Franchise = "Adventures in the Sin Trade II" |title cap image = }} After Iolaus' death in Sumeria, Hercules and Nebula start a dangerous journey to the Underworld to try and get him back to life. Summary Hercules is "losing it" after Iolaus' death three days ago. He is having flashbacks and is even praying to the Sumarian gods for help. When some servants come to prepare Iolaus' body for burial, Hercules yells at them telling them to leave. Nebula tries to talk to him to bring him back to his senses, but he decides to travel to the underworld to get Iolaus back. Hercules and Nebula argue back and forth about him going and/or her going with him. The entrance to the underworld in in the temple of Dumuzi in the darkest part of the jungle. When Nebula leaves him alone, he sneaks off without her. While running around in the dark, Hercules finds an old woman who invites him to sit. She has a strange symbol on her palm. She tells him not to listen to anyone who tells him not to go on; then she vanishes. Later on, he runs into Nebula and her crew coming to help him. He insults her on her relationship with Iolaus and she smacks him in the face. He apologizes and accepts her help. During the journey, they find a statue with the symbol that the old woman had on her hand and a crewman tells Hercules that the old woman is the servant of the gods who only appears to the damned. Hercules picks up the statue and throws it away, saying that the man has it backwards: he is damned if he does not continue. Nebula decides she will stay with Hercules and since she is the queen, her crew stays with her. At the campfire that night the men are taking. Danaeus is disappointed because he has heard many stories about Hercules and he thought he wouldd be more impressive. Hercules says he is not there for the entertainment of the men. Hercules ends up insulting Daneaus and Daneaus leaves. Danaeus later is found dead with green skin staked to a tree. Nebula's head servant freaks out and Hercules starts to choke him. Nebula gets angry and threatens him if he blows up again. Hercules says all he feels is rage. She gives him a little pep talk about being Hercules, and he calms down. He says he owes Danaeus a proper burial, and leaves the camp to dig a grave. Hercules has a nightmare of Iolaus climbing up out of Danaeus' grave and telling him that Hercules should have given up on him. The next day, the group continues up the river in their canoes. While on the river, they find a wrecked sailing ship so, they explore. Nebula says it must have crashed, but Hercules says there was a fight. Nebula asks what were they fighting, a giant bat? They find dozens of dead people with green skin...coming to life and attacking them. Nebula, Hercules, and their crew try stabbing, drowning, and pummeling the zombies, but they just keep coming back. After finding out that you cannot kill what is already dead, Hercules uses fire on them, and they disappear. The zombie of Daneaus attacks Nebula and scratches her arm. He then begs for her to kill him, which she does with a flaming sword. Hercules blows up the sailing ship and Nebula's crew take the canoes and leave for home. Nebula says she cannot blame them, and she and Hercules continue alone on foot. Hercules and Nebula discuss Danaeus and figure out that the gatekeeper of the underworld must be keeping souls from crossing over, creating the zombies. Hercules finds out that Nebula got scratched and that the skin around the wound is turning green. She gets tired easily and makes him promise that if she turns into a zombie, he will kill her. He refuses. She threatens to kill herself right there and he makes the promise. They keep walking. She hears a flute that Hercules cannot. She says the gatekeeper is calling her. Hercules finds a rock in the ground with the same symbol as the statue. He moves it, and uncovers a secret entrance. Hercules tells Nebula to stay there and he goes down. Nebula follows him and attacks him, begging him to keep his promise and telling him that if he does not kill her, then she will kill him. He tells her Dumuzi is making her do this, that she is still alive. He ties her up and leaves to find Dumuzi. He goes into this room of weird liquid windows and learns that the zombies are around because when Gilgamesh drank the nectar, Dumuzi lost his nourishment so he used human souls to give him power. Dumuzi says his brothers and sisters have died because Hercules helped Gilgamesh take the food of the gods. he tells Hercules that Hercules is no different than a god because he allowed Iolaus to sacrifice himself instead of Hercules. He says Hercules has become the very thing he most despises. Dumuzi tells Hercules "Your soul will feed a world of gods, I will feast on it forever." Hercules beats him up for awhile. Dumuzi says Iolaus crossed over before he began collecting souls and is gone. Hercules gets so depressed after not being able to find Iolaus there that he screams "Iolaus" so loudly that the liquid windows break, causing Dumuzi to lose all the souls he has collected. The souls are now free. Hercules and a fully recovered Nebula return to the palace to find Iolaus mummified. Hercules says that he killed his best friend, that he is damned, and so is everyone he loves. Nebula offers him her ship while she stays behind to rule as queen. Hercules tells her that being Queen suits her. Nebula tells him she expects her ship back one day, and him with it. She reminds him that he saved her life and gave peace to all the souls Dumuzi had trapped, and that has to be worth something. Hercules sails away. Disclaimer : No Zombies where chomping at the bit during the production of this motion picture. Gallery File:Descent_01.jpg|I've Never Prayed Before File:Descent_02.jpg|Look Into My Heart File:Descent_03.jpg|Doubt in Your Heart File:Descent_04.jpg|On the Euphrates File:Descent_05.jpg|We Risk Our Souls File:Descent_06.jpg|Zombie Attack File:Descent_07.jpg|Promise Me File:Descent_08.jpg|Kill Me, Or I'll Kill You File:Descent_09.jpg|Entering Dumuzi's Temple File:Descent_10.jpg|In Dumuzi's Temple File:Descent_11.jpg|Your Soul Will Feed a World of Gods File:Descent_12.jpg|Iolaus! File:Descent_13.jpg|Death of Dumuzi File:Descent_14.jpg|I Killed My Best Friend File:Descent_15.jpg|You Saved My Life File:Descent_16.jpg|Legendary Journey Background Information Memorable Quotations "Besides, it's time for me to stay put and take all this >>queen business<< a little more seriously" Nebula, after offering her ship to Hercules Links and References Guest Stars * Gina Torres as Nebula * Antonio Te Maioha as Dumuzi Other Cast * Wanjiku Kiarie as Old Woman * Ronald La Pread as Priest * Tony Hopkins as Agenor * Paul Glover as Danaeus * Grae Burton as Crewmember References * Sumerian Pantheon * Sumeria * Gilgamesh's Palace * Gilgamesh * Underworld * Euphrates * Temple of Dumuzi * Hydra * Cyclops * Dahak * Chalice of the Gods Season Navigation de:Schiff der Untoten Category:Episodes not set in Greece Category:HTLJ Season 5 episodes Category:HTLJ episodes